E3 2011: The games we can expect on Wii U news

We all know a new system is nothing without its games, so what do Nintendo have in store for us for Wii U? Unfortunately, not a lot of games were unveiled at E3. On the showroom floor, Nintendo have offered several “interactive experiences” for Wii U, but none of them are confirmed to be released as full games.

Perhaps the biggest eye-popper was a tech demo of Zelda in full HD, showing link fighting a familiar spider-like foe in an impressive, detailed environment. Link could not be controlled, but the controller had a few buttons that could change day and night and the amount of light. We want more! And we will get more. Nintendo have confirmed to be working on several prototypes including New Super Mario Bros Mii, which allows you to play alongside Mario by using your own Mii as a playable character. Fans of the popular Smash Bros. franchise can rejoice as -- sort of unofficially – a pair of Smash Bros. games were announced, one for Wii U and one for 3DS.

New Super Mario Bros. Mii stars your Mii alongside Mario and Luigi

The many demos on the E3 floor are mostly mingames which wouldn’t look out of place in a party game. There’s Shield Pose, where players use the controller as a shield to protect themselves from incoming arrows. Chase Mii is a chasing game where one player holds the Wii U controller that shows a top view of the stage as four people playing with Wii Remotes must catch him or her. Pac-Man anyone? Another “four plus one” player kind of game is Battle Mii, a UFO/space game where the Wii U controller bearing player is the UFO and the Wii Remote users have to try to take him or her down. The object of the UFO is to take out the planetary defenses.

And then there’s Pikmin 3. Though it’s nowhere to be seen on the showroom floor, Shigeru Miyamoto has already admitted on several occasions that he’s been working on the title. And because we mostly like won’t see a Wii release for it, it just might be one of the Wii U’s launch games.

Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge is one of the third party titles to look out for

The first official third party title announced is LEGO City Stories from TT Games, an open-world Lego game that will be released exclusively for Wii U and also 3DS. But there have been other, less official announcements. There will be a Tekken game, but it’s uncertain at this point if it Namco will make it a port or a new game. Possible features include character customisation by adding face paint, graffiti and icons to clothing. THQ’s Darksiders 2 was shown, as well as Batman: Arkham City from Eidos, the sequel to the successful Batman Arkham Asylum. Additionally, there’s mention of a new Assassin’s Creed game coming out from Ubisoft.

One of the games that had the most to show was Ghost Recon Online, also from Ubisoft. Expect sharp graphics and great online play for this title. In the racing genre we can expect a new Dirt from THQ and Need For Speed from EA, which could very well be The Run, which was showcased this E3. Some great looking shooters include Killer Freaks From Outer Space from Ubisoft, Metro: Last Light from THQ and Aliens: Colonial Marines from Gearbox The latter could really work if you get a motion tracker on the controller. Major immersion! Another crowd pleasure was the announcement of Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge. Finally, EA has a new Madden in store for us, as well as a Harry Potter game and hinted at Battlefield 3 making an appearance, which is awesome to say the least.

Who would refuse a hardcore game like Battlefield 3 on a Nintendo console?

Now, it’s safe to assume Nintendo have a lot of secret projects in the pipeline. Will there be a Mario Kart? Definitely. Will there be a new 3D Super Mario game? No doubt. Could Retro Studios be working on a new Metroid Prime? Oh, let us hope so! And let 2012 be a very exciting year. Will Nintendo retain popularity among hardcore gamers and stay number one in the casual market? We’ll know soon, but not soon enough.